Weather

National

Midwest meteorologists face pushback and threats when bringing up climate change

5:04am November 29, 2023

by Elizabeth Rembert

Explaining climate change can be a challenging job, particularly in areas where the public is more wary of the science. Some climate experts in the Midwest and Great Plains have faced death threats.

Climate-influenced disasters are making people sick. When wildfire smoke from massive fires in Canada blanketed the U.S. in the summer of 2023, emergency rooms saw a spike in admissions for lung problems but also heart attacks and other health issues.

Climate change, fossil fuels hurting people's health, says new global report

6:30pm November 14, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

The latest Lancet Countdown, an annual analysis from the prestigious medical journal, underscores the vast and growing costs of fossil fuel burning on health.

It's been a year since Southwest's epic meltdown. What's changed?

4:36pm November 14, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

A major blizzard last December forced Southwest Airlines to cancel more than 16,000 flights, stranding passengers across the country. But the airline says this year is different.

The aftermath of a mudslide that ripped through villages on the foothills of Mount Elgon in 2012, killing at least 18 people. The slopes of this extinct volcano in eastern Uganda have become increasingly prone to such disasters as a result of climate change. The looming question: How do you help people find a safe new place to live?

Why villagers haven't left a mudslide prone mountain — and how a novel plan might help

10:19am November 14, 2023

by Nurith Aizenman

On an extinct volcano in Uganda, hundreds of thousands face disaster due to climate change. The charity GiveDirectly is trying a surprising approach to help them get out of harm's way.

A line of cars queued on a road heading to the town of Grindavik, Iceland, Monday.

A volcano in southwestern Iceland is expected to erupt in the next few days

7:08pm November 13, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Hundreds of small earthquakes have been rattling the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland as meteorologists anticipate a volcanic eruption and residents evacuate.

The Key deer is the smallest deer species in North America. The deer live only in the low-lying Florida Keys. They are considered federally endangered, with an estimated population of around 1,000.

A tiny deer and rising seas: How far should people go to save an endangered species?

5:30am November 12, 2023

The Key deer is losing the only place it lives, raising uncomfortable questions for the people tasked with keeping endangered species alive.

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Science

Rising ocean temperatures mean blue crabs are showing up in Maine lobster traps

5:47pm November 10, 2023

by Nicole Ogrysko

The crab usually associated with the mid-Atlantic is showing up in lobster traps in Maine. Scientists say it's due to the state's quickly warming ocean waters.

Environment

Wyoming hunters skip this season to let deer bounce back from last winter

5:47pm November 10, 2023

by Caitlin Tan

Last winter in Wyoming was so harsh that tens of thousands of deer and antelope perished. This season, thousands of hunters are voluntarily sitting out to give the herds time to recover.

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National

Building in Arizona with no water

4:55pm November 09, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

Local leaders near Phoenix are placing limits on where new homes can be built, with the goal of protecting long-term access to water. But there's a significant loophole.

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National

Officials say California is drought free — but water supply is still strained

4:55pm November 09, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, about drought conditions in California.